All Nighter
by deathbyguilt
Summary: Struggling to finish his paperwork by pulling an all nighter, Mustang has a visitor in the wee hours of the morning, seeking some comfort. very slight RoyXEd.


This is my first ever Fullmetal Alchemist story, and actually my first non-poem/ non-songfic story as well. I tried really really hard on this, and I welcome all criticisms, cause they'll probably help me in the future. '. Please review!

Disclaimer: I don''t own Fullmetal Alchemist

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--THWAP THWAP THWAP-- 

It wasone thirtyin the morning at Central headquarters. Everybody in their right mind was at home sleeping, all the lights were out,save for one office light that belonged to non other then the Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang

--THWAP THWAP THWAP--

The sound of a head meeting the smooth surface of a desk, echoed throughout the abandoned hallways of the building.

"Stupid paperwork...' mumbled Mustang, with his head at rest on top of his desk, piled high with said paperwork. Sitting up he rubbed his tired eyes and tried to suppress his self-induced headache. He mentally calculated about two more hours of meaningless reading and signing until he would be done. 'That would make it 3:30 when I finish, leaving two and a half hours until sixwhen he would have to report to work anyway.

--THWAP THWAP THWAP--

"Coffee..." he all but whined. He stood up and with a tired sigh and a stifled yawn, he made his way to the meeting room down the hall, in which contained he beloved coffee maker.

'Why is this taking so long?' he thought hopelessly, as he set up the brewer and coffee, and sat and waited for his caffeine fix. His thoughts traveled to the past week. There was really nothing out of the ordinary about this week in particular, Hawkeye was still on his back about his paperwork, Maes ranted on and on with those god forsaken pictures of his daughter, Al (who was restored to his original body) was out visiting Winry, leaving Ed in central, and Roy had multiple verbal battles with said alchemist left behind...oh yeah...there was the fight he had with the said young prodigy that nearly burned is office down, along with the rest of the building. His paper work to say the least was charred and irreparable.

'Now I remember...dammit.' the alchemist thought regrettably. It was yesterday afternoon when that accident happened. He had insulted Ed's height, not that it was unusual for him to do so. But instead of ranting about how he wasn't short, tiny, small, etc. he sort of...exploded...He clapped his hands and BOOM...instant barbequed Mustang, extra crispy.

Now a downside to this,Hawkeye blamed himto have caused the whole mess, insisting that as the superior officer he was held at a higher standard, not to mention a higher level of maturity. At the end of a gun point, he was told rather clearly that he was to get copies and restart thepaperwork Unfortunately an entire weeks worth had been destroyed and paperwork is done weekly,hence the reason it's now 2 in the morning and Roy is still working while everyone else was asleep, including Fullmetal.

"BEEEEEEEEEEEP." he was jolted out of his reverie as the appliance informed him that his coffee was ready to be served. He poured it, added cream, and enough sugar to ask him whether he wanted coffee with his sugar instead of how much sugar with his coffee. He sniffed the concoction and sighed happily tho himself and started his way back to his office.

In his mind he was silently thinking of ways to get Fullmetal back for the damage and lack of sleep that he had caused Roy to endure from the encounter. Though he knew he was also responsible, he thought that the all-nighter with the paper work was punishment enough for himself. He entered his office, and sat on a couch located near the door. It smelt horribly of smoke and debris. 'Another tribute to Fullmetal' he mused. He was about to close his eyes for a short ten minute nap, when

"And here I thought Colonel Useless would be able to pull an all nighter. But it seems even he is indeed human and needs his beauty rest." A sarcastic voice could be heard from Roy's desk.

"Ahhh Fullmetal I was just thinking of you." Said the Flame Alchemist sitting up to eye the said blonde in the seat of his desk.

"Why?" he questioned indifferently, while his amber eyes betrayed his subtle interest.

The colonel slightly smirked noting the gaze in the others eyes.

"Good question Fullmetal, I don't know why I'm wasting my time on such _small _matters like you." He stated, trying to bait the younger alchemist.

"You know you'd think you had learned your lesson the first time not to insult my height." the blonde clapped his hands and turned to the paperwork. He was about touch the desk when, he was all but tackled to the ground.

"What do you think you are doing, Edward?" the Colonel hissed dangerously from his upper hand position above Edward. The younger man shifted uncomfortably. After all he was pinned down to the floor.

"I was only kidding, I wasn't really going to do it." He stated plainly a slight tint of nervousness in his voice.

"That's what I thought." The Flame Alchemist stood slowly, and took his seat at his desk and took one of the many papers from the IN pile and scanned it briefly before he asked uninterestedly. "What are you doing here anyway, Fullmetal?"

"Couldn't sleep," he started.

"Really," came the stoic reply.

"Your office light was on," the blonde finished.

"I hardly think that my office light being on would keep you awake, considering your dorm is nowhere near this vicinity." Mustang indignantly stated.

"I didn't say that it did," Edward said sharply. "I just simply couldn't sleep, and since your office light was on, I knew you were still awake."

"So in other words you came to annoy me because you couldn't sleep," the Flame stated rather than questioned as he signed another document and put it in the finished pile.

"No," came the tired reply.

"No?" questioned the Colonel, as he picked up his head to meet the younger man's eyes. However, Edwards eyes were focused out the window as he leaned on the window sill. Mustang watched as the blondes eyes were fixated on the sky, as if searching for something.

"No." said Edward after a few minutes of silence, as he turned to meet his Superior officer's gaze. Mustang cleared his throat and turned back to his work, mentally berating himself for allowing his gaze to linger too long on his subordinate. He listened as Edward made his way to the chair on the other side of the Colonel's desk and sat down. He folded his arms on the surface, and leaned his head on his arms, as he watched the older man continue to read and sign the papers in front of him. For a minute Edward felt a little guilty that Mustang was here so late because of him and his short temper.

"So, what pray tell, is preventing you from sleeping Edward?" asked Mustang after a few minutes of signing and being watched sleepily by Edward.

"Al's not here." Edward stifled a yawn.

"And?" Another signed paper to the OUT pile. Edward didn't answer, instead he directed his gaze to the wall, trying to find something interesting about it. However, mustang noticed the slight pink in the young alchemist cheeks.

"Awww don't tell me that the Great Fullmetal Alchemist, is afraid of the dark?" mustang teased with a small smile.

" I am NOT afraid of the dark." the Prodigy stated incredulously.

"Oh no? Then tell me the reason you here?" Mustang inquired, his teasing voice still present. He heard Fullmetal mumble something incoherent.

"What was that Fullmetal? I can't hear you."

"I said I ..." Edward stared still looking at the wall. "I'm...just...afraid of sleeping...alone." he flushed a deep red, not believing he had just told his secret, to Roy Mustang of all people. He looked back toward his superior, not to find a smug face, but a look of pure curiosity, and what looked like a hint of concern. 'Nah, I must of imagined that. The lack of sleep is getting to me.'Edward denied in his mind.

"May I ask why that is, Fullmetal." Mustang inquired. He was truly interested in why Edward had a fear of sleeping alone, but tried not to make it obvious to the other.

"Well..." Edward rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the words to explain. "It's not so much that I'm afraid to _sleep_ alone. It's more along the lines of that I'm afraid to _be _alone. First my mother passed away leaving me and Al alone. Then I almost lost Al, when we tried to bring her back. Now he's moving on tho Winry. I just...don't want to be left alone is all...I mean I've always had Al with me. Soon I won't...and I'm scared" He finished, apprehensively looking to his Officer, expecting a sarcastic tease. But he was surprised for a second time.

"Your not the only one who's afraid of being alone Edward. It's quite a common fear actually." Mustang assured Edward gently. The blonde didn't seem satisfied with the answer. "And it's not like your really alone anyway," he pushed further. "After all you still have your friends here in central. Havoc, Hawkeye, and Maes are always here to talk to, though I'd avoid talking to Maes about anything serious, unless you want to hear what his daughter ate for breakfast." Just the thought of hearing one more of those stories made his head throb. HE looked towards Edward only to find him in thought over the newly processed information.

Mustang shrugged and went back to signing papers. The two alchemist sat in an almost comfortable silence. Only the sound of a scratching pen and the rustle of papers could be heard. Soon enough twenty minutes went by.

"What about you?" a voice broke the silence.

"Pardon?" Mustang inquired, lifting his tired eyes to meet intense gold hues.

"What about you?" Edward repeated softly.

"What about me?" the Colonel raised an eyebrow. Edward took in a sharp breath.

"Would I be able to talk to you about anything on my mind?" Edward asked cautiously.

"Why, Edward I had no idea you put me in the category of your friends." Mustang gave a cheeky smile.

"That's not wha–" Edward started to reply.

"But I suppose even _I _could spare a few moments from time to time for you. I mean I haven't just been signing papers for the past hour or so have I?" The Flame Alchemist finished, nodding as to agree with himself.

"No you haven't." came the soft response. Mustang looked to the younger man, only to find a small smile gracing the man's face. But his eyes were closed and his head was in his arms. It looked like he was about to..

."Zzzzzzzzzzz"

'Well talk about rude.' Mustang thought bitterly. 'He snoozes while I have to finish paperwork.' He went to wake Edward and order him to go to bed, but he stopped dead. He just couldn't bring himself to wake the prodigy. 'He looks so peaceful. Who knew Fullmetal could look so innocent. Then again it's rare to see him with out his mouth running'

Mustang mentally debated what to do. He looked around his office as if it could tell him, when his eyes landed on the couch in the corner. Nodding his head, he gently lifted Edward in his arms, and carried him over to the couch. He laid him softly down into what he assumed would be a comfortable sleeping position, on his back. He was about to return to his desk when another thought entered his mind. He slipped off his military jacket and placed it over the sleeping blonde. 'He looks so happy'. He brushed away some of the man's bangs out of his face. Mustangs hand gently fell to Edward's cheek. Gently stoking his thumb across the surprisingly soft skin, before he slowly retreated.

"Sleep well, Edward." He whispered into the blondes ear, and with that returned to his paperwork.

Edward left the Colonel's office a few hours later, around five thirty, muttering what sounded like thank you, blushing while handing Mustang back his jacket. Edward, all but sprinted out of the building.

A half hour, six o'clock on the nose, Hawkeye entered his office and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Sir what are you doing here so early?" She inquired incredulously.

"What are you talking about Hawkeye, I'm pretty sure six o'clock is the time I'm supposed to be in work. Is it not." He looked at her with a teasing smile.

"Yes sir, but your _never_ here on time." she insisted

"Well I decided to come in early and finish up the rest of my paperwork that is due this afternoon." Mustang replied leaning over his paperwork, signing another paper.

"This afterno–. Sir didn't I tell you?" She asked

"Tell me what Riza?" He asked tiredly

"I went and told the Furher about your little fight with Edward. and he grated an extension on your paperwork. It isn't due until _next _week," she informed him. "But I'm glad you decided to actually start it now Sir, if you did what you usually did you'd end up here all night to finish it all." She smiled and left his office.

The only sound heard throughout the entire day that could be heard was a loud-

--THWAP THWAP THWAP--

While in his dorm room Edward slept like a log.

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Well, I hoped that story didn't give you too much of a stomachache. Please review, and don't be afriad to say what you think! 


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